1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sending apparatus for sending an image input from an external apparatus to a predetermined addressee. The present invention also relates to an image transmission information display apparatus for displaying image transmission status information for confirmation, upon sending an image to a plurality of addressees.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radiation image recording and reproducing systems using stimulable phosphor storing a portion of energy of radiation (such as X rays, α rays, β rays, γ rays, electron rays, and ultraviolet rays) irradiated thereon and emitting light in accordance with the stored energy by being exposed to stimulating rays such as visible light have been known. In such a radiation image recording and reproducing system, information of a radiation image of a subject such as a human body is recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet comprising a stimulable phosphor layer (the radiation image is photographed), and the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with the stimulating rays such as a laser beam to cause the sheet to emit the light. The light is then photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal (the radiation image is read), and the radiation image is output as a visible image on a recording medium such as a photosensitive material or on a display apparatus such as a CRT display, based on the image signal having been obtained (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 55(1980)-12429, 56(1981)-11395, and 56(1981)-11397, for example).
In the case where such a radiation image recording and reproducing system is introduced to a large-scale hospital or the like, the system is installed with an image sending system in some cases. For example, a radiological ward is connected online to other wards such as a surgical ward and an internal ward, and a radiation image is photographed in the radiological ward based on a request made by any of the wards. The photographed image (an image signal) is read and input to a transmission apparatus for sending the image to a predetermined addressee such as the ward requesting the image.
Such a transmission system is configured in such a manner that a transmission apparatus automatically sends, for each medical examination, the image having been read to the predetermined addressee once the image is input to the transmission apparatus. In other words, radiation images are usually photographed for a medical examination, and the number of the images photographed in each medical examination may be one or more. In each case, medical examination information such as a medical examination number indicating which medical examination the images are for and quantity information indicating the quantity of the images photographed in the medical examination (the medical examination information may include the quantity information) are related to each image as accompanying information thereof, and input to the transmission apparatus. In the transmission apparatus, each time the images to be photographed for each medical examination are judged to have been input and ready based on the medical examination information and the quantity information, the images are collectively sent to the addressee.
The above transmission system may comprise a display apparatus such as a CRT display for displaying the images input thereto and for confirmation by a radiologist of whether or not the images are adequate. Even in such a case, image transmission is not controlled by a result of the confirmation. Therefore, even an inadequate image is included in the images for any medical examination, the images are automatically sent to the addressee once exactly the same number of images for the medical examination have been input thereto.
In such a conventional image sending system described above which automatically sends all the images for each medical examination regardless of adequacy of the images once exactly the same number of the images to be photographed for the medical examination have been input, an inadequate image a so-called faulty image having a wrong direction of photographing (from the front or from a side), or a blur caused by motion of a subject, or inadequate density or contrast is also sent automatically. Such faulty images cause problems on diagnosis through observation of the image, regardless of the fact that an adequate image is expected by the addressee.
Furthermore, in the conventional image sending system, management of unnecessary images such as faulty images is not adequate. For example, in the case where a faulty image has been generated and the image is re-photographed, the number of radiation images for each patient is not easily understood.
As has been described above, such a conventional radiation image recording and reproducing system described above is sometimes installed as a system for sending images to a plurality of addressees. For example, in the case where the system is introduced to a large-scale hospital or the like, a radiological ward carries out photographing of a radiation image based on a request made by another ward connected online to the radiological ward. The photographed radiation image is read and displayed on a display apparatus such as a screen of a CRT display. In this manner, confirmation of adequacy of the image, such as whether or not the direction of photographing is right, or whether or not a blur caused by motion of a subject is observed, or whether or not the density and contrast are adequate, becomes possible. The radiation image (an image signal) having been read is then sent to addressees such as a diagnostic workstation in the radiological ward, an image management apparatus in the radiological ward, and to the ward requesting the image.
Upon transmission of the image by such a conventional system, a radiologist issues a transmission instruction by using a transmission apparatus and the transmission apparatus simply carries out transmission processing according to the transmission instruction. Therefore, a transmission status such as whether or not the transmission is carried out successfully is not specifically displayed. If the radiologist wishes to know the transmission status, he/she operates the display apparatus and causes a queue of image output to be displayed so that he/she can confirm the status.
However, in the case where the image is sent to a plurality of addressees, all the addressees may not necessarily receive the image successfully, and a problem may occur in transmission to any addressee. Therefore, notification of the transmission status has been desired, which has not been easy by using a conventional system due to the operation of the display apparatus for display of the image output queue.